What vehicle do you drive (make/model/year)?

A 1965 21 Window VW Samba Micro Bus

How long have you had it?

Eight years

How much did it cost?

£16,000

What work have you done to the vehicle? How much did it cost to repair?

Air Cooled 3.2 litre Porsche 911 engine, Porsche 914 gearbox, 911 brakes, ram air ducts, Mini RSJ supports to stop it twisting, snakeskin interior, Xbox 360 and LCD TV, sat nav, nitrous and flames. Cost in excess of £50,000.

Why did you get this particular vehicle?

I bought it to complete the Gumball Rally in, so far to date, I have managed three.

What do you like most about it?

Its personality and the look on people’s faces as you overtake them.

What irritates you most about it?

Always got something to do or fix.

Is it good value for money?

Considering it’s been through most of Europe, Thailand, the US, North Korea, China and more importantly took me to my wedding this year I would say definitely. We are also going to France for the Beaujolais Run to raise money for Helen & Douglas House hospice in Oxford by collecting the Beaujolais direct from Georges Duboeuf at midnight on Beaujolais Day bringing it back without stopping apart from for fuel, then having a charity dinner at the Feathers in Woodstock that evening.

Does it have a name?

We called her Jem after a friend.

What is your favourite memory of the vehicle?

Driving through China into Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games in an electric storm was unbelievable. Also winning the Spirit of the Gumball that same year (Overall Spirit of the Gumball 10th Anniversary Winners). The start line was in San Francisco, and proceeded through checkpoints in Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, a flight to Nanjing (With drivers stopping over in Pyongyang), Shanghai, and finally Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

And your worst?

Before we added the ram air and fans, we constantly overheated and had to wait for half an hour on the roadside to cool down.

If you could own any vehicle what would it be?

Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing, silver with red leather

What was your first car? How much did it cost and how long did you own it?

It was a gift from my Dad, a 1978 reg Datsun (Nissan) 120Y Estate in white. I kept it for about 12 months.

  • Do you drive an old banger which you can’t live without? A reliable motor that gets you from A to B? Do you drive something unusual or extravagant? If you drive a car, motorbike, van or truck and want to tell us about it contact chris.walker@oxfordmail.co.uk.
  • The Beaujolais collected by Mr Carrington will be sold at a charity dinner and auction for Helen and Douglas House on Thursday, November 18, at the Feathers Hotel in Woodstock.

To bid for items online, including a chance to win an afternoon being chauffeured in Mr Carrington’s camper van, visit feathers.co.uk and follow the link to the Charity Dinner and Auction page.